Managing Lactose Intolerance, Part 2
Treatment
Because there is no cure, and management of symptoms relies
mostly on the use of a tablet form of the lactase enzyme,
lactose intolerance has become a big industry. Symptoms can also
be controlled through diet modification.
Young children and infants with lactose intolerance should not
eat any foods containing lactose. For adults and adolescents, a
combination of diet modification and Lactaid may be the desired
method of controlling symptoms. Since everyone's level of
intolerance is different, you will need to find out which
products give you what symptoms - through trial and error. For
example, some people can tolerate a glass of milk or two while
some may not be able to tolerate milk at all. In my case, I can
eat everything except ice cream and foods containing heavy cream
- I have rather violent episodes if I eat foods like these.
Other people I know have trouble with any kind of dairy,
including cake mixes, baked goods with milk products in them,
etc.
If you think this method will be too painful (like mine was!),
then you may just want to opt for safety and take a Lactaid
tablet before consuming foods containing dairy products.
(Warning!: For the Lactaid tablet to work, you must take it
immediately before consuming dairy. If you take it afterward, it
will not work!)
So, if you still want to eat your favorite foods, then try the
Lactaid tablet. The tablets come in different dosages of enzyme.
Again, the dosage you need will depend on the severity of your
symptoms. Lactose-reduced milk and other products are available.
Just be sure that if milk gives you the worst symptoms, the
lactose-free product you choose is really lactose free. Some are
just reduced, and some are reduced at only 70%.
Hidden Lactose
Milk and foods made from milk are the only natural sources of
lactose. However, lactose is often added to prepared foods. If
you have a very low tolerance for lactose, you should avoid
these products:
-bread and other baked goods
- processed breakfast cereals
- instant potatoes, soups, and breakfast drinks
- margarine
- lunch meats (other than kosher)
- salad dressings
- candies and other snacks
- mixes for pancakes, biscuits, and cookies
- powdered meal-replacement supplements
- Nondairy products like imitation coffee creamer and nondairy
whipped cream may also include lactose.
If you are lactose intolerant, you must be vigilant and learn to
read food labels with care. Don't just look for milk and lactose
ingredients, but also for words like whey, curds, milk
by-products, dry milk solids, and nonfat dry milk powder. If you
see these words listed on labels, the product does contain
lactose. Also, if eating prepared foods, look at it carefully.
If it looks like it may contain milk or milk products, be on the
safe side and assume that it does - take the Lactaid!
The Short Summary
Lactose Intolerance is a widespread problem, affecting a
significant portion of the population. If you have trouble
digesting lactose, you are not alone! You just need to learn
which dairy products and other foods you can eat without
discomfort and which ones you should avoid. You can still enjoy
milk, ice cream, and other great tasting foods by using a
lactase supplement such as Lactaid.
Dairy Products/Lactose content:
Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 1 cup - 5 g Milk, reduced fat, 1 cup -
11 g Swiss cheese, 1 oz - 1 g Ice cream, 1/2 cup - 6 g Cottage
cheese, 1/2 cup - 2-3 g
Foods containing Lactose
- baked goods (cake, bread, cookies, crackers, donuts, waffles,
pancakes, etc...)
- butter
- buttermilk
- cheese
- chocolate (unless unsweetened)
- cream
- cream soup
- custard
- egg substitutes
- frozen yogurt
- gravy (made with cream)
- Half & Half
- ice cream
- margarine
- milk (whole, 2%, 1%, skim, condensed, evaporated, powdered,
lactose reduced)
- pizza
- pudding
- salad dressing* (some)
- sour cream We make it easy to improve your health. Stop
avoiding dairy products and suffering from intolerable symptoms.
To learn how to enjoy your favorite dairy foods without pain,
visit: http://www.burn-your-fat.com/lactose-intolerance.html